Spoon Down, Fish Up

[BobP]

My son and I went fishing on a deep, clear lake last week. Surface temp was 65 degrees and it was overcast. We left the ramp enroute to a 'usual fishing spot', hoping to catch a few bass on crankbaits/worms. As I accelerated into 55 ft of water only 200 ft from the dock (I said it was deep!), I glanced at the sonar and noticed a cloud of baitfish down near the bottom and a big pile of larger fish under them. Time to rethink the plan! I "slammed on the brakes" and we tied on a couple of 3/4 oz Janns Netcraft jigging spoons. I had painted the spoons glow white and added feathered trebles. We dropped the spoons down and big white bass hit both spoons before they reached the bottom. Over the next hour, we caught white and spotted bass as fast as we could unhook them and get our spoons back in the water. Eventually, we drifted a few yards off the action and I noticed even BIGGER fish on the sonar. Bang - a 3 1/2 and a 4 lb largemouth bass. 3 other good size largmouths in the next few minutes before the action died out (or we lost the school!). We unhooked the largemouths and got them on the way back down ASAP before their swim bladders distended. No disabled or dead fish!

It turned out to be a great outing with a lot of fish caught. There was no surface activity. All the action was taking place deeper than most guys look for catchable fish, deeper than most think for spoon jigging here in the Southeast. 65 degree water temp would not be considered cold enough to encourage shad schooling. But they were, and the bass knew it! While we caught fish, I could see at least 5 other boats within sight - all pounding the banks with worms, SB's and cranks. And none catching fish.

Moral of the story - plans are great but stay open to opportunity and keep an eye on the sonar! Like gold, "Fish are where you find them" and finding them is 90% of catching them. Secondly, if you are spoon jigging and catching white bass or small bass, larger bass will often be lurking on the periphery of the action to pick off easy meals. We've all heard of large fish lurking BELOW the smaller fish but when the action is near the bottom, there is no "below". I've found that to be true with both largemouth and stripers. So keep an eye out for them!

[M@TT]

I like this. Always been curios but never tried will try come November in OH. Thanks

[diemai]

@ BobP

Nice write-up , ........and so much thruth in it , stepping off the usual paths often leads to success !

Here in the bigger lakes of Northern Germany jigging spoons should be essentials in every boat anglers tackle box , in particular in fall and winter season , but also during the rest of the year they are the lures to tie on , if perch are hanging down deep or at bottom .

Apart from plastics on leadheads they are the only lures to go down to 30 to 90 feet easily ,...... my wife does fish them almost exclusively all through the year in our favourite swim ,...... she's too lazy to cast lures , just letting them down at boatside is just fine for her !

And often she does catch more than I do with other lures(vertical fishing is kinda boring to me) , .......not only perch , but also zander(walleye) and also ocassionally pike go for them .

tight lines , ........greetz , diemai

Edited June 28, 2010 by diemai

[dog1660]

You always have to be looking at that finder and you just never know when you will come accross a big school. We do the same thing out here in Calif. while hunting stripers in the Delta. So much fun when you find them. Good job.